The walk home felt longer than usual. Now that the 'sweet' girls were gone, the weight of their betrayal settled deep in my chest. I felt a sharp, aching pain—not because of them, but because I was disappointed in the world. I had truly believed that because they were the same age and shared the same classes, they could share a 'Pure' connection. I had reached out with both hands, only to be met with a trap.
By the time I reached my front door, I felt exhausted. I messaged Luca, my words reflecting my heavy heart.
"You were right. They weren't looking for a friend; they were looking for a story. I feel so foolish for believing them."
Luca's reply was almost immediate, his tone Respectful and steady.
"Don't be discouraged, Iris. You aren't foolish for having a good heart; they are wrong for taking advantage of it. Learn the lesson, keep your distance, and keep moving forward. Don't let their toxicity stop your progress."
His words acted like a balm. Taking a deep breath, I decided to follow his lead. I sould n't let them ruin my day. I ate something, focusing on the simple flavors, and then lay down to rest. I put on some light, peaceful music—songs that didn't have words, just melodies that cleared the 'delusions' from my mind and lightened my mood.
By the time I sat down at the desk to study, my focus was sharp. I wasn't the weak Child anymore. I was a student who wanted to achieve her desires.
The next morning, as I walked through the college gates, I looked the same as always. But inside, everything was different. I looked at the smiling faces in the hallway with a new, Practical perspective. I should be polite, and kind, but I'll never let my guard down again. I had learned the most important rule of my life: Never trust a smile until you know the heart behind it. Even if they look innocent and younger than you, deception has no boundaries.
I didn't walk into the classroom with my head down. I walked in with a calm, bright smile—the kind of smile that said I hadn't spent the night crying. I was actually excited to see their expressions. I wanted to see how they would react when they realized their betrayal hadn't broken my spirit.
As soon as I stepped inside, I saw the group of girls. Their faces went pale, and they looked at each other, puzzled and shocked. They had expected a girl who was trembling or avoiding them, but instead, they found a woman who looked more confident than ever.
"Iris!" one of the girls called out, her voice sounding a bit forced. "We... we saved a seat for you over here!"
I walked over, my smile never wavering. "Oh, thank you! That's so kind of you." I looked at the row of chairs and then tilted my head innocently. "But is there one more vacancy? I actually want to reserve a seat for Luca, too. Since we're all 'good friends' and he's coming, I thought it would be nice."
The silence that followed was absolute. The girls were completely shocked. They had tried to make me feel ashamed of my connection to Luca, but here I was, openly claiming it in front of everyone. By acting like it was perfectly normal, I made their gossip look dump and unnecessary.
They realized that their questions hadn't changed me—they had only made me stronger. I was now doing exactly what I wanted, and there was nothing they could do to stop me.
Actually before I even stepped into the classroom, I had already made my move. I wasn't just going to class; I was going to deliver a surprise for my new friends that they could never forget. On the way to college, I had told Luca my plan. "I'm going to reserve a seat for you right next to me," I said with steady and clear voice. "Right in the middle of them."
"They wanted to know our 'reality' so badly," I replied, my voice steady and determined. "They spent weeks pretending to be my friends just to dig for secrets. Now, I'm going to show them exactly what they were looking for. I'm going to show them that while they were busy acting, we were busy building something real."
I had planned it perfectly. I wasn't going to be angry or loud. Instead, I was going to use their own Sweet tactics against them. I'll be so open, so kind, and so close to Luca that their gossip would become meaningless. I wanted them to see that their Toxicity couldn't effect our friendship.
Luca couldn't hold his tension anymore, he called me with a puzzled but deeply impressed expression. "Are you sure, Iris? You know how they are. Aren't you afraid of their glares? Aren't you afraid the rumors will only get louder if we sit together so openly?"
I replied him, a faint, confident smile playing on my lips. "I'm not afraid anymore, Luca. I realized something yesterday. Even if I hide in the back row, even if I never speak to you again, they will still say whatever they want. They will still find a way to be cruel. So, I've decided I don't care what they think about me."
I tilted my head slightly, my voice challenging and soft at the same time. "Do you have a problem with it? With people seeing us together?"
Luca gave me an instant reply, a slow smile spreading across his face. "No," he said firmly. "I don't have a problem with it at all."
"Then," I replied, turning back toward the college gates, "neither do I."
"I want them to see what true friendship looks like," I whispered as I reached the classroom door. "I want them to see that they can't break what they didn't build."
"Iris has stepped onto the stage, and she isn't following the script her 'friends' wrote for her. She has brought the truth into the light, and the 'shocked' faces of her classmates are just the beginning."
"As Iris and Luca sit together, sharing smiles that aren't for the cameras or the gossip blogs, how will the 'sweet' girls handle being ignored? Will they try to apologize to save their own reputations, or will the taste of their own medicine be too bitter to swallow? And as the lecture begins, will the rest of the class finally see Iris for who she truly is?
Wait until the next chapter to find the answer."